This small peach cobbler is an easy 5 ingredient recipe. This recipe makes 2-3 servings. Dump peaches, a cake mix, and butter into a cast iron skillet or dutch oven for an easy summer dessert that takes just 5 minutes to assemble.
[This recipe was originally posted in May 2018. It has been updated with new photos, cooking instructions, expert tips, FAQ, related recipes, video and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]
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This small peach cobbler with cake mix is perfect if you're cooking for one, or a few people. I used to make a full peach cobbler, but it's hard to eat the whole thing before getting sick of it or before it goes bad.
I cut my old recipe to make 2-3 servings so it's perfect for your cobbler craving when you don't have a crowd to eat it. If you want a faster peach recipe for one, try this Skillet Peach Crumble for One.
Sure you can make your own topping, but when you use part of a cake mix and canned peaches, it's so easy. It just takes 5 ingredients and 5 minutes to throw together.
It also tastes just like a dutch oven cobbler, but without a dutch oven!
Ingredients
Scroll down to the small peach cobbler recipe card for the amounts of each ingredient, but here's a quick visual + description of what's in this recipe.
- Canned Peaches, in peach juice: I like using canned peaches because they're inexpensive and the soft peaches are perfect in cobbler. Get peaches in juice because it's sweet, but not too sweet. You'll use a whole can too!
- Brown Sugar: Add some light or dark brown sugar to your peaches to make them extra caramel-y and delicious. It blends in well with the peaches and cake topping.
- Cinnamon: A dash of cinnamon adds a bit of warm spice and flavor to this simple peach cobbler. It's definitely a great addition.
- Yellow Cake Mix: You'll use ¼ of a box for this recipe, but it makes it so easy. Use the remaining mix for cupcakes or 2 small cakes. Cake mixes are also inexpensive, so it's a great addition to this low cost dessert.
- Butter: Slices of butter on top of the cake mix will help your cake mix topping cook and brown on the top. It's such a great way to add browning and flavor.
Instructions
Scroll down to the small peach cobbler recipe card for more detailed instructions. Here's a quick overview + photos to see how to make this recipe in general.
1. Spray pan with cooking spray. Pour a can of peaches, in peach juice into pan.
I recommend these because the peach juice will add extra peach flavor and give you a great texture.
2. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over peaches. Evenly sprinkle dry yellow cake mix over peaches.
It may seem like there's lots of juices in the pan, but it'll be absorbed by the cake mix and will make your cake tender and moist. Don't drain liquid.
3. Cover top with thin slices of butter. Make sure that butter is covering the whole top. This will leave you with a tender, fully cooked cake topping!
4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45-50 minutes, or over coals (covered) for up to 90 minutes.
5. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired. This small peach cobbler with cake mix is also delicious served with vanilla or plain yogurt in the morning.
Storage/Reheating Tips
Store your small peach cobbler, covered on the counter for about 2 days, store in the fridge for longer. You can reheat it in the microwave. I'm not sure how it would freeze.
Substitutions/Tips
- Canned peaches are awesome in this easy peach cobbler with cake mix because 1. fresh peaches out of season are NO GOOD! I'm a peach snob. and 2. you'll get lots of great juices and 3. they're way less expensive.
- Use peaches packed in their own juices. They taste extra peachy (instead of extra sweet) and are just delicious.
- You can measure out 14.5 ounces of fresh peaches. Add back any peach juices to the peaches. It will help cook the cake topping through.
- Other great add-ins: Add chopped nuts to your cake topping.
FAQ$
Cake mix can be added to cobblers, like this easy peach cobbler with cake mix (it makes cobbler super easy to make!).
You can use it instead of waffle mix to make cake flavored waffles, mix cooked cake with frosting to make cake balls too.
The fruit part of the cobbler, like in this easy peach cobbler with cake mix will be slightly gooey-more syrupy after it's cooked.
If it's too gooey, you may want to add cornstarch to the peaches next time or drain some of the juice. If it's already cooked and not so edible, I'd add yogurt or ice cream to it and let the gooey peaches double as a sauce.
Yes, there's no dairy, so no need to always refrigerate it. But your easy peach cobbler with cake mix will last longer if refrigerated. Recommend refrigerating if you'll be eating leftovers for more than 2 days.
Other good summer desserts
- Red, White, & Blue Popsicles
- Easy Strawberry Sauce (to top ice cream of course!)
- Oatmeal Cherry Bars
- Strawberry Banana Milkshake
- M&M Popcorn for One
How to Repurpose
Heat your small peach cobbler with cake mix up and serve with yogurt in the morning or swap ice cream for whipped cream next time.
What to do with leftover ingredients
When you're cooking for one, you often have leftover produce, cans of whatever ingredient, etc. Here are a couple ideas on how to use up the leftover ingredients. It'll help you save money by wasting fewer ingredients.
- Peaches: Salmon with Peach and Tomato Salad (just drain & dry peaches well), Peach & Prosciutto Caprese Pizza (just drain & dry peaches well), Peach Crumble for One
- Cake mix: just make a small cake or a cobbler with different fruit.
Did you make this small peach cobbler? Leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!
Small Peach Cobbler with Cake Mix
Equipment
- can opener
- Small ceramic or glass baking dish (I'm using an 8.5x6.5in dish)
- knife
- cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 14.5 oz can of peaches, in peach juice
- ½ tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ box yellow cake mix
- 1 tablespoon butter sliced thinly
- ice cream or whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, or prepare coals in firepit. Spray dutch oven or cast iron skillet with cooking spray.
- Dump one 14.5 oz can of peaches into pan. Sprinkle (½T) brown sugar and (¼ t) cinnamon evenly over peaches. (there will still be a lot of juice in pan, but the juice will be absorbed by the cake mix).
- Sprinkle ¼ box dry yellow cake mix over peaches. Spread out evenly. Distribute slices of butter (1 T) on top of cake mix.
- Cover if cooking over fire, can bake without a lid (that's what I do). Cook for 45-50 minutes, or up to 90 depending on campfire temperature. Top should be golden brown and peach juices bubbly.
- Remove and serve immediately. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.
Video
Notes
- I love using canned peaches because 1. fresh peaches out of season are NO GOOD! I'm a peach snob. and 2. you'll get lots of great juices and 3. they're way less expensive
- Use peaches packed in their own juices. They taste extra peachy (instead of extra sweet) and are just delicious.
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Andy Russick says
Hey Rebecca,
This is a great recipe. Quick, easy and no mess. Very much liking the suggested us of canned peaches!
Rebecca says
thanks! canned peaches are so good and easy to use in this recipe
Cheryl Franta says
I'd like to try it with my own frozen peaches (because I'm a peach snob, too). Just wondering how to do it. Use frozen or thaw first? And, add liquid? Thank you!
Rebecca says
Oh good question. I would probably add 1/4 cup peach or apple juice to the recipe. But I haven't tested it so I'm not sure exactly. Let me know how it turns out!
Leta Woolard says
Would you recommend adding any liquid when using fresh peaches?
Rebecca says
Hi Leta, great question! I haven't made it with fresh peaches yet, but yes, probably. A few fresh peach recipes call for 1/2-1 c added liquid (either water or milk). I'm guessing you'd get about 3/4-1 c juice from 1 can of peaches, so start with that and see how it comes out. Let me know if you make it!
Cara says
Tried this recipe tonight for the first time and it was a total bomb... sorry! I really wanted to like it. I followed the recipe to the letter (12" cast iron skillet, no lid, drained off one can of peach juice), and when I took it out of the oven it was nothing but liquid on the bottom with a layer of dry cake mix on top. I ended up gently stirring the dry mix into the liquid and put it back in the oven for 20+ minutes to bake longer. That was honestly the only thing that saved it. The taste was fine, but won't be making this one again.
Rebecca says
hmmm I'm sorry it didn't work for you Cara. I've made this a bunch and the times I ended up with the layers not melding, I didn't spread the cake mix out well enough (it works really well when the mix falls down between the peaches and soaks up the peach juice) and when I didn't add enough butter. That adds some moisture to the mix & helps it get nice & golden brown. Hope that helps if you ever wanted to try it again
Sue Hopf says
This recipe cooks peaches then cake mix over top, should the mix be over peaches then cooked?
Rebecca says
oops! good catch-thanks! You'll add the peaches, spices & sugar, then the cake mix and butter, then cover/don't and bake it for 60 minutes. The recipe card is updated now, so refer to that!
Ellen says
I love making desserts in a skillet. This is easy and perfect for a last minute gathering.
Rebecca says
so true!
camila says
wow this looks unreal! So delicious!! Scrumptious!
Rebecca says
thanks so much!
Shanna Jones says
Love this quick and easy version! I couldn't agree with you more on saving that extra peach juice. I use it for so many other recipes; including my peach cobbler "sauce" for ice cream and other desserts.
Rebecca says
right?! it's so versatile & delicious. thanks
Jenna Smith says
Does it matter what size Cast Iron Dutch you use over a fire?
Rebecca says
Hi Jenna, great question- not really. I cooked mine in a 12in skillet, which doesn't necessarily translate to dutch oven sizes. I'd recommend about 4-5 qt dutch ovens (or a bit smaller/bigger than that). Too big, then it'll probably just be a layer of peaches and not enough topping, but if it's too small, it may take longer to cook & the topping/peach ratio may be off since there's not as much space on top to use all the topping.
Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes says
I gotta love when an RD gives me the thumbs up on using a box of cake mix! Ha ha! Fun idea for a camping dessert Rebecca! Yum yum!
Rebecca says
haha! always! I took a food science class in college & we determined that cake mixes were better than homemade... unless that homemade cake is an Ina Garten cake, then it's always Ina 😉
Saima says
It does indeed look like the best peach cobbler! And so easy to make. Will be trying it soon for sure:-)
Rebecca says
it's so good! thanks!